Electric air heater



Sept. 15, 1925. 1,553,367

o. A. coLBY ELECTRIC AIR HEATER Filed July e, 1923 F/y/ E '//J /J fr@ Z- INVENTOR Ora H. 60M] Z2 E W4/7W ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITI-:o sixg'rssA 1,553,367 PATENT- OFFICE.

ORA A. COLBY, OF IRWIN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNO'RTO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

ELECTRIC AIR HEATER.

Application led July 6,

To all whom t may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, ORA A. COLBY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Irwin, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Air Heaters, of which the following is a speelfication.,

My invention relates to electrically heated devices and particularly to electric air heaters of the radiant type. One object of my invention is to provide a relatively simple and compact structure for a radiant electric air heater.

Another object of my invention is to. provide an electric air heater having a heatradiating plate of refractory material `provided with an ornamental pattern on its front surface that is caused to become luminous during the operation of the heater.

In practicing my invention, I provide a suitable casing having an open front. A refractory plate of electric-insulating material having a relatively thin, front wall 1s suitably supported in said casing back of the front openingthereof. A heating element is located immediately back of the front wall of the refractory plate and a block of a refractory heat-insulating material is located immediately back of the extended heating element.- y

The front surface of the refractory plate may be provided with a plurality of perforations therein to permit of portions of the heating element being visible.

A modification of the device contemplates the provision of a raised pattern on the front surface, of any desired ornamental form, the heating element to be located immediately back of the pattern to cause the same to become substantially luminous during the operation of the device.

In the single sheet of drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of an electric air heater, embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a view, in vertical lateral section therethrough, taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a view, in front elevation, of a heating unit embodying my invention,

Fig. 4 is a view, in vertical lateral section therethrough, taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3

Fig. 5,'is a view, in front elevation, of a 1923. Serial' No. 649,800.

modified form of device embodying my 1nvention, and

Fig. 6 is a viewin vertical lateral section therethrough, taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 5..

M electric air heater 11 comprises a suitable casing 12 and base 13, supporting members 14 and a top or cover member 15. Any desired construction of base, casing 'and cover may be employed, the essential consideration being to obtain a casing having an ornamental and pleasing appearance.

The casing 12 may be provided with a depressed front portion 16 having an opening' 17j therein. A protecting grating 18, comprising a plurality of vertical and of horlzontally extending bars, is removably mounted in the depressed portion 16, for protecting a heating element located within the casing.

A heating unit for the casing 12 comprises a member 19, of substantially channel form 1n both lateral and longitudinal-section, and of refractory electric-insulating material, the front wall 21 thereof being relatively thm. The member 19 may be of any suitable or desired contour and is here illustrated as being substantially rectangular to conform to the shape of the casin 12.

A plurality of individual heatlng units 2 2, each comprising a helically wound reslstor member, extend from one side of the member 19 to the other and are located immediately back of the front wall 21 and in substantially operative engagement therewith. A block 23 of a suitable high-temperature resisting and heat-insulating refractory material is located between the integral flanges of the member 19 and serves to hold the resistor members l22 in their proper operative position and to this end, it may be provided with a plurality of relatively small spaced grooves 23a in its front surface.

The ends of the resistor members extend through suitable openings 24 in the side flanges of the member 19 and are connected to bus bars 25 and 26 respectively, that are located adjacent to the side walls of the casing 12 and are held therein in any suitable or desired manner. A face plate 27 is mounted on the side of the casing 12 and is held against the same by screws 28. A control switch 29 is mounted on the outer surface of the plate 27 and a plurality of contact terminals 31 are also mounted thereon. The terminals 31 control switch 29, and the bus bars 26 and 25 are suitably connected by conductors 32 and 33 to permit of controlling the energization of the resistor members 22.

By making the front Walls 21 and the member 19 very thin, and employing a helically Wound resistormember 22, it is possible to cause the portions of the Wall 21 located in front of the heating elements 22 to glow when the heating elements are trav'J44` ersed by an electric current. Of course, adjacent portions of the front Wall Will also glow, but to a lesser extent, and by using heating elements 22 that are caused to lie in paths other than straight lines, I may cause luminous figures to be outlined on the front Wall of the member 19, during the operation of the heater.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have lllustrated a modiication in Which the front Wall 21 of the refractory heat radiating member 19 is provided with a raised pattern 34, a groove 35 being provided in the rear or inner surface of the'front Wall 21 immediately back of the raised portion 34 and the heating element or elements 22 being located in this groove. A block 23 of heateinsulating material is employed as described hereinbefore.

While I have illustrated a specific embodiment of raised pattern in Fig. 5 of the drawing, my invention is obviously not limited thereto, as any desired form and outline of raised pattern may be employed. For instance, flowers may be molded on the front surface of the Wall 21 and, bythe provision of heating elements translating vari-v ous amounts of electric energy into heat or by varying the thickness of the Wall of the raised portion immediately above and outside of the groove 35, I may cause the raised pattern to become luminous to varying degrees.

Opening 36 may be provided in the front Wall 21 through Which integral portions of the heating elementl may be visible or may even project if found desirable or necessary to obtain a pleasing and ornamental effect.

The use of a refractory heat-insulating member located immediately back of the heating element is effective to reduce the flow of heat backvvardly therefrom and to cause it to flow toward the front surface of the heating and heat-radiating Wall 21.

Various modifications and changes may be made Without departing from the splrit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered'by the appended claims. f

I claim as my invention:

l. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory member of electric-insulating material having a relatively thin front Wall,

a block of refractory heat-insulating material in said member spaced from said front Wall, and an electric heating element located between said front Wall and said block of heat-insulating material.

2. In an electric heater, in combination, an open-front casing, a refractory member of electric-insulating material, of substantially channel section, and having a relatively thin front Wall located in said casing, a block of refractory heat-insulating mate- .rial located in and supported by said memb er of channel section spaced from said front Wall and an extended electric heatin element located betWen said front Wal and said block of heat-insulating material.

3. In an electric heater, in combination, an open front casing, a refractory member of electric-insulating material having a relatively thin front Wall located in said casing vback of said front opening, and an extended electric heating element located in back of and closely adjacent to said front Wall and operated at such temperature as to cause that part of the Wall directly in front thereof to become substantially luminous and thereby outline the form of said heating element.

4. In an electric heater, in combination, an open front casing, a refractory member, of electric-insulating material, having a relatively thin front Wall, an integral, ridge on the front surface of said Wall and a corresponding groove in the -rear surface of said Wall, and an extended electric heating element in said groove, said heating element being operated at such temperatures as to ca use the ridge to become substantially luminous.

5. In an electric heater, in combination, an open front casing, a refractory member, of electric-insulating material, having a relatively thin front Wall, an integral ridge on the front surface of said Wall and a correspending groove in the rear surface of said Wall, an extended electric heating element in said groove, said heating element being operated at such temperature as to cause the ridge to become substantially luminous, and refractory heat-insulating means in said refractory member for holding said heating element in said groove and for reducing the flow of heat backwardly from said heating element.

6. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory member having a raised pattern on its outer surface and an electric heating element operatively associated therewith to cause said pattern to become substantially luminous during the operation of the device.

7. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory memberhaving a raised pattern on its outer surface, and an electric heating element located closely adjacent thereto in back thereof to cause said pattern to glow when the heating element is energized.

8. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory member, of electric-insulating material, having a raised pattern on its outer surface and corresponding depressions on its inner surface and an electric heating element located in said depressions and adapted to cause said raised pattern to glow when it is energized.

9. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory member, and an electric heating element located closely adjacent thereto, said heatin element being shaped to conform to a pre etermined pattern to cause said refractory member to glow in accordance with l the pattern of said heating element when energized.

10. In an electric heater, in combination, a refractory member having a plurality of depressions forming an indented pattern on its inner surface, and an electric heating element located in said depressions and adapted to cause said refractory member to glow in accordance with the pattern of said heating element when energized.

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 2nd day of July ORA A. COLBY. 

